Your Spicy Weekend Plans: Watch the World’s Hottest Pepper Eating Contest

The 19th Anniversary of Pinellas Pepper Fest on May 2-3, 2026 is going to be HOTTER than ever before! This hot n’ spicy food show is painfully delicious, big on flavor and cooked up to be one of the hottest events of the season.

Specialty exhibitors will tickle your tastebuds as they bring on distinctive, breathtaking, and dynamite offerings in the form of sauces, salsa, seasonings, rubs, plants, food products, gadgets, kitchenware, hundreds of mild to wild samples and more.

Forget everything you thought you knew about competitive eating and wimpy hot dog eating contests! The League of Fire has taken the world by storm, making competitive chili pepper eating a global phenomenon. They’ve established the world’s governing body ranking system that unifies chili-eating contests worldwide. This means no matter where you are, these fiery trials adhere to a single, recognized standard. It’s a system built for showcasing the courage of those who dare to take on the hottest peppers and challenges our planet has to offer.

Joining the heat this year as co-host is Matic Vizjak, the world-renowned founder of Chili Freak. A Slovenian producer celebrated for his award-winning sauces and the one-of-a-kind Chillino Spritz, Vizjak brings 15 years of flavor innovation and international expertise to Pinellas Park. His mission is straightforward: turn everyday food into a memorable experience and bring the legendary heat of Slovenia to the world.

On Saturday, May 2nd, 10 USA contestants from near and far battle the blaze for a chance to claim the coveted League of Fire Tampa Belt that they’ll keep as a trophy and qualify for a guaranteed shot at the League of Fire Americas Belt Match championship. These brave individuals push the boundaries of human spice tolerance, and in doing so, will earn international recognition for their fiery achievements.

Pepper Fest alumni prepare for the traditional hot stuff contests, including the Extreme Lolli Lick-A-Thon (the hottest lollypop in the world, sponsored by Intensity Academy), the Jalapeno Pepper Eating Contest and the people’s choice Favorite Vendor Concoction. The competition will be fierce as contenders vie for the awards in each category.

Let your temperature rise with live music heating up the stage throughout the 2-day extravaganza.

The event is pet and family friendly, and admission and parking are complimentary. England Brothers Park: 5010 81st Ave N, Pinellas Park, FL 33781